Donald Trump has told Vladimir Putin that ending Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine is critical and that he is prepared to help, according to Russia's Tass news agency. The phone call on Sunday, which lasted about an hour, was described as 'friendly and frank' by Yuri Ushakov, a Putin adviser.
During the call, Trump also informed the Russian president that the US is nearing a peace deal with Iran, as the US-Israel war against the country continues. Trump separately spoke with Volodymyr Zelenskyy on ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war ahead of the G7 meeting in France this week. Zelenskyy said he wished Trump every success in his efforts to end the war and updated him on the latest battlefield developments.
Fighting between Russia and Ukraine has continued for more than four years since Russia launched an invasion in February 2022, lasting longer than the First World War. Peace negotiations have largely been on pause, but Trump officials have recently stated they want the war to end 'as quickly as possible'.
During the call, Putin also wished Trump a happy 80th birthday in an 'informal' manner, with a message on the Kremlin website praising Trump as a 'bright, remarkable person and politician'. Zelenskyy also wished Trump a happy birthday during their conversation. Trump has announced plans to celebrate his birthday with a cage match event on the White House South Lawn.
